The Times-PicayuneBurnell MoliereNorco businessman Burnell Moliere was sentenced to three years of probation last week for helping a former Orleans Parish School Board member cash a check that the federal government asserted was a bribe.

Moliere, who pleaded guilty last year to "structuring" the financial transaction, cashed a check given to Ellenese Brooks-Simms by political operative Mose Jefferson in 2004. Moliere deposited the check in his account and then returned the cash to Brooks-Simms in payments of less than $10,000, so that the transactions would not be reported by the bank to federal regulators. The payments were made through cash withdrawals and checks cashed by straw payees.

During Jefferson recent trial on allegations he bribed Brooks-Simms for her assistance in procuring a lucrative contract for a computer-based tutorial he was hawking, federal prosecutors asserted that the check processed by Moliere was a bribe.

But the jury disagreed, finding Jefferson "not guilty" on the bribery count associated with this $40,000 check, which was given to Brooks-Simms by Jefferson after she left office. The jury also rejected a conspiracy to commit money laundering count against Jefferson, which centered around Moliere's actions in cashing the check for Brooks-Simms.

However, Jefferson was convicted on two other bribery counts, stemming from two $50,000 checks he gave to Brooks-Simms while she was still a member of the school board. Those checks were cashed for the former school president by her daughter, Stacy Simms.

Brooks-Simms, her daughter and Moliere all pleaded guilty and testified against Jefferson during the bribery trial. The Norco businessman, who was a longtime ally of the Jefferson political family, is the first to be sentenced. The sentencing date for the two women has been pushed back until March.

In an unusual procedural move, Moliere's sentencing hearing on Nov. 5 was closed to the public, according to court records. But U.S. Judge Eldon Fallon denied a defense attorney request to also seal the sentencing judgment and court minutes.

According to a document filed in the court record on Thursday, Moliere will serve three years of federal probation, including participating in a "life skills" program. He also will pay a $3,000 fine.

Moliere, whose Norco-based janitorial company held a variety of city contracts over the years, testified at trial that he considered Jefferson, the older brother of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, to be a political mentor. Mose Jefferson taught Moliere how to run a political campaign, he said.

Moliere testified that after Brooks-Simms received the $40,000 check from Jefferson, he received calls from both of them. Jefferson said that the "School Board lady" would be coming by to see him, he testified.

Brooks-Simms testified she asked Moliere to cash the check from Jefferson, which had been written out in the name of a friend. She forged this friend's signature on the back.

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Laura Maggi can be reached at lmaggi@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3316.